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Friday, April 23, 2010

$8 Ruffle Curtain Tutorial

***I recently updated this tutorial going into more detail and showing how to make it with a queen sheet set. You can find it HERE. Thanks!***

Here's the instructions on how I made my super cheap ruffle curtain for our guest bedroom. Now you should be advised that I am no sewing pro, so most definitely anyone with an afternoon and a sewing machine can whip this up.

1. I started with 2 Flat Twin sheets. I purchased mine at Wal-Mart for $4 a piece. Make sure they are the flat sheets and not the fitted. Wal-Mart also has some other great colors like cream and pink if you want to change it up. You could also do this with just regular fabric, but I seem to get overwhelmed with large amounts of fabric in front of me. So the sheets are a good jumping off point.

2. Unpackage and iron out each sheet. Then begin cutting following these handy little guidelines I made for you. The grey area are the pieces that you will not be using.

Panel #1

Cut off the 4 inches hem at the top of the sheet (grey area) and discard or save for another project. Then cut 7 strips at 11 inches tall and 1 strip at 10 inches tall (this last strip already has a hem to it so it doesn't need to be as tall).

Panel #2

Cut out the main body of the curtain at 96 x 35 in. and set aside. Then cut out the remaining 2 strips for the ruffles with the side of the fabric making sure the first strip is 11 x 66 and the other is 13 x 66 (this last one needs to be taller because it will be the top ruffle and secured to the back of the curtain).

3. Now you have 10 ruffle strips and 9 need to be hemmed. I just did a quick fold over hem because we're short on fabric. *Also be sure to hem the two sides from the 2 strips you cut from panel #2*

4. With your hems in place begin sewing a loose and wide stitch on the top of each strip to ruffle. Then gently tug on the back string and bunch together to ruffle the whole strip. Repeat with all 10. Take a mandatory chocolate break...you're welcome!

5. Take your main curtain panel and hem the right side. For mine I laid out a few of my ruffles on top of it to gage how much to take in. Mine finished is about 33 inches wide. Just depends on how much ruffle you want.

6. Starting at the bottom of the panel get your ruffle just the right length so it will lay across the panel allowing room for a half inch to be folded in on the left and right sides of the ruffle. Pin and sew straight across.

7. Repeat with layering the remaing ruffles. It's best to work on one ruffle at a time making sure each ruffle covers the stitches on your previous ruffle. Don't stress out about getting each straight or lined up perfectly. The ruffles are very forgiving and just add more character to it.

8. Once you sew 9 ruffles. Take the main curtain body panel and fold over the top 4 inch hem and stitch a curtain rod pocket in the back.

9. Now your last ruffle should be the 13 in. wide one you cut from panel #2. Instead of sewing across the ruffle you'll be flipping it over and sewing inside of it on the very top of the back of the curtain panel so that when it flips over you won't be seeing a seam. Sorry I hope this part makes sense. Your finished curtain should measure about 33 x 92 in. once done.

10. Then Ohhh and Awwww over you fantastic curtain!

Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you have questions about a step aboyagirlandapug {at} gmail {dot} com.

I am in looove with this curtain. I saw a similar one at PBK today for $70 a panel and thought, I can do that! Thanks for the awesome directions. I am going to do different colored ruffles for my girl's room :)

New follower! Just found this posted on Pinterest, I LOVE these curtains. Been trying to figure out what to do in my daughters room, and these are perfect!~Katiewww.punkinheadsanddoodaloos.blogspot.com

Ahh, I'm ready to load up the kiddo and go to Wal-Mart to get some sheets! Thanks for this great tutorial! I'm going to need to make 3, but these are the first curtains I've loved for my room in almost 3 years! I can't wait! Thank you again!

these are so cute! I have been trying to decide how to redo the curtains in my daughters bedroom and ta-da I found out how! going to go out and get sheets tomorrow. I do have one question, do you think that blackout backing could be put on these?

I own that Anthro shower curtain that others have mentioned, and although I still adore it, I do wish I'd seen this tutorial before I paid all that cash for it a few years back! Definitely going to make bedroom curtains from your tutorial. Thanks!

I just LUV this idea! Thank you for the great tutorial! Michelle over at Emerald Cove Jewelry mentioned your blog and this tut, so I had to pop over to see if it was easy enough for a complete "non-sewer" to handle. I just may be able to do this....! :)

I have been saving this link and saving it so I could come back here and tell you........ I FINISHED IT!! I made a shower curtain after I saw one in a store for $80 and googled around and found your solution! I just modified my measurements by a tad bit (it's a stand alone shower). This was much much easier than I cold have anticipated. Thank you!!

Found you when I was looking for a ruffled curtain tutorial. Love it! Can't wait to try it for my two youngest daughter's bedroom. Following you now. Would love it if you follow back:) http://www.applesandpnutbutter.blogspot.com

So cute!!!! I just have one idea to help. When you ruffle sew one line and then sew a second line guiding 1/4" This helps lay flat when you are trying to sew all the ruffles together. I will be making these for my daughters room.

These are just beautiful! And a great tutorial. The only suggestion I would offer is to prewash the sheets before you make the curtain. That way the material shrinks BEFORE you make the curtains.I think I'll suggest these to my daughter for her daughter's room. Just beautiful!

Just a quick tip to save some sanity. Do a double row of loose stitching instead of 1. Pull the upper threads together to make the ruffles. The ruffles will be easier to work with and if one row has a break you have the backup stitching to work with. These are great curtains!

Love this tutorial. My teen was searching for a ruffle bed throw, curtains,ect. and now we are going to save hundreds $$. She's now dusting her sewing machine and will be making these for her room. xoxo

having not sewn in over 15 years this was awesome. my curtains turned out mega sloppy and def don't look like yours but it was a lot of fun! the only thing i couldn't figure out was the main thing: the ruffling. i tried forever with the sewing machine (setting the stitch widest) but ended up doing it by hand...hence the sloppy job. but i'll figure it out one day - thanks!

I don't know how pinterest knew I wanted a ruffled shower curtain, but this showed up on my home page, and I am sooo grateful. My sister's ruffled shower curtain cost well over a hundred dollars. I finally found one at Bed Bath and Beyond but it was, you know, well over a hundred dollars. Hers was sewn with different colors of thread on each tier, all white fabric, and it was lovely. This gives the same effect and I am grateful.

I just finished making these panels for my shower curtains! Turned out amazing and alot cheaper than the $180 one I wanted from Anthropology! Thanks for the easy to follow instructions, this was my very first sewing project!

Thank you for this tutorial. I was just talking with a friend yesterday about making some ruffled curtains for her daughters bedroom, and the power of the sharing universe has provided. On Pinterest I have seen 3 photos already this morning with ruffled curtains and your lovely tutorial on how to make them. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

This is probably a crazy question, but do you think I can use this for a ruffled blanket in a girls room? This is such a great tutorial. Can't wait for this artic blast in Chicago to end so I can go to Wal Mart. THanks!!

I also have been trying to decide how to redo the curtains in my daughters bedroom and ta-da I found out how! going to go out and get sheets last week. I think if it was easy enough for a complete "non-sewer" to handle. I just may be able to do this.British Towels

I just wanted to point out that the Pottery Barn curtains have 16 strips of ruffles, which works out to 6 inch strips. I personally like the smaller ruffles so that's what I am doing. I also did 44" panels as that is what the Pottery Barn panels measure. I bought some white muslin from the fabric store for $1.79/yd in a 44" width so I only had to cut the length and hem the length not all the way around. It is a great tutorial though! I highly recommend a ruffler foot for your machine if you want to save some serious time and headache. It will ruffle the strip and attach it to the panel layer at the same time. I bought mine at Joann's for $15.

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